Crib and cradle sleep system

ABSTRACT

A bedding assembly for use with a mattress, the assembly including a circumscribing padding sized and shaped to extend from or rest on top of a top perimeter surface of the mattress, the padding having one or more contiguous sections, each section having a vertical outer surface positioned adjacent to sidewalls of the mattress, a horizontal bottom surface adjacent the top surface of the mattress, and an angled surface extending from the outer surface to the bottom surface, and a cover sized and shaped to secure the padding sections together in a shape that circumscribes a central portion of the mattress, and a fitted sheet sized and shaped to hold the padding and cover on the mattress.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure is directed to sleep systems and, moreparticularly, to mattresses and bedding for infants and toddlers to beused in crib and cradle safety sleep systems.

2. Description of the Related Art

Cribs and cradles are utilized by infants or young children during sleepand nap times as well as for resting while awake. A typical crib has abase, a soft mattress resting on the base, and side rails surroundingthe mattress to keep an infant from falling off the mattress. One orboth side rails have top and bottom rails with vertical slats extendingthere between. These side rails are usually configured to raise andlower to facilitate placing and removing a child from the crib andchanging the bedding and, at times, the mattress. However, the siderails of a crib can often pose dangers for young children, such ashitting their heads on the hard surface or getting limbs stuck betweenindividual vertical slats. As a result of these dangers, crib bumpershave become popular to act as a buffer between a child and the siderails.

Many people find crib bumpers necessary for one of three reasons: toprotect a child from the hard surfaces of the crib or cradle, to preventa child's limbs from extending through the slats resulting in strain orinjury, or to simply provide an environment in which a child can have amore restful sleep.

Traditional crib and cradle bumpers create a “wall” that lines theinside perimeter of the bed. These bumpers block the child's access tothe vertical slats and the space in between each vertical slat.Unfortunately, these bumpers can also block airflow to the child,especially young infants who can be smothered or tangled in the flexibleties used to hold the bumper to the side rails and end boards of thecrib. This style of crib bumper has generally been made of a continuous,soft, quilted pad that is fastened to the vertical rails of the crib byties similar to shoe laces. There are a number of reasons why this isnot safe for a child. First, the pad does not allow for proper airflowto the child and a child can suffocate if their airway is blocked by thesoft pad (at a young age, children do not have the instinct to move awaywhen their airway is blocked). Second, because the pads are secured tothe railings instead of the mattress by the ties, children can get theirfaces or limbs wedged between the bumper and the mattress causing injuryor suffocation. Finally, these pads are typically secured to the railswith some type of fastener, generally ties, that do not hold the bumpertightly to the rails and slats, which can pose a strangulation orchoking hazard for children.

There are also new types of “wall” bumpers made of mesh. These do allowfor airflow while keeping a child's limbs from becoming stuck in theside rails, but they do not provide any protection from the hardsurfaces of the rails or crib. This could result in injury to the childor, at minimum, could wake a child if they bump too hard into the sidesof the crib or cradle. One example of a mesh bumper can be seen in U.S.Pat. No. 8,161,584, which uses a mesh means at the base of the bumperwhere the bumper meets the mattress. Additionally, this system uses afastening device to attach the mesh to the fitted sheet. This can eitherbe in direct contact with a child, possibly resulting in injury, or becan lead to the child being covered with a “flap,” leading tosuffocation.

Another solution has been to wrap each vertical slat individually. Oneexample of such a bumper can be seen in published Patent Application WO2009117180. Although this method provides protection from the hard,internal surfaces of the crib and allows for airflow, it does notprevent a child's limbs from extending through the vertical rails. Thiscould cause injury or allow a child to wake from restful sleep whenturning or changing positions in the crib or cradle.

One other proposed solution can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 7,774,874,which uses triangular bumpers around the inside perimeter of the crib orcradle. However, this design still poses several potential safetyhazards. A child can easily get caught underneath the device because itrests directly on top of the mattress without being secured to themattress in any way. If a child accidentally places their head or limbsunder the bumpers, they could suffocate or sustain injuries. Inaddition, the bumper is attached via cords, snaps or some kind of tie tothe rails of the bed, which present a significant choking orstrangulation hazard to children.

Accordingly, there is a need for a protective system for cribs, cradlesand toddler beds that does not pose any significant hazards or dangersto a child, and keeps the child centered in the safe middle section ofthe bed.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to bedding and bedding systems foruse with infants and young children. In accordance with oneimplementation of the present disclosure, a padding system is providedfor use with a mattress, the mattress having a top surface, a bottomsurface, a circumscribing sidewall defining a thickness, and a topsurface perimeter. The padding system includes a padding assembly havinga length for placement along at least part of the perimeter of the topsurface of the mattress. The padding assembly has a bottom paddingsurface, a back padding surface, and an angled padding surfaceconnecting the bottom padding surface to the back padding surface. Thepadding system also includes a padding cover having a continuous topsurface, the padding cover sized and shaped to at least partially coverthe padding assembly, and to hold the padding assembly in a geometricshape. The padding cover includes a central cover portion sized andshaped to and cover at least a portion of the top surface of themattress and the inner padding surface, a side cover portion connectedto the central cover portion and sized and shaped to at least partiallywrap around the padding assembly, and releasable cover fastenersstructured to releasably secure the side cover portion and the paddingassembly together. The padding system further includes a fitted sheetsized and shaped to hold the padding assembly and the padding cover tothe mattress. The fitted sheet has a padding covering portion sized andshaped to cover the padding cover, and a mattress covering portionhaving a first sheet part extending from the padding covering portionand sized and shaped to cover the circumscribing sidewall of themattress, and a second sheet part extending from the first sheet part,and sized and shaped to at least partially cover the bottom surface ofthe mattress.

In accordance with another implementation of the present disclosure, abedding assembly is provided for a mattress having a top surface with asurface area, which defines a perimeter of the mattress, and a bottomsurface. The bedding assembly includes a padding sized and shaped torest on the top surface of a mattress and be secured around theperimeter of the mattress, the padding having first, second, third, andfourth padding sections. The bedding assembly further includes a coverhaving a continuous top surface and is sized and shaped to enclose thepadding and cover the surface area of the mattress. The cover includes afirst padding wrap sized and shaped to at least partially enclose thefirst section of the padding, a second padding wrap sized and shaped toat least partially enclose the second section of the padding, a thirdpadding wrap sized and shaped to at least partially enclose a thirdsection of the padding, and a fourth padding wrap sized and shaped to atleast partially enclose a fourth section of the padding. A centersection is connected to the first padding wrap, the second padding wrap,the third padding wrap and the fourth padding wrap, the center sectionsized and shaped to securely hold the first padding wrap, the secondpadding wrap, the third padding wrap and the fourth padding wraptogether.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the presentdisclosure will be more readily appreciated as the same become betterunderstood from the following detailed description when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a bedding system according to oneimplementation of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows the padding of the bedding system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a padding of a bedding system formed inaccordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a padding of a bedding system formed inaccordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows a bedding system with attachment points of a coveraccording to one implementation of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 shows the bedding system of FIG. 5 with hidden lines showing thepadding and attachment points of a cover according to one implementationof the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a bedding system with a fitted sheet according to oneimplementation of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 shows the bedding system of FIG. 7 with hidden lines showing themattress and padding;

FIG. 9 is a top view a bedding system in a crib according to oneimplementation of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of a bedding system with a fitted sheetaccording to one implementation of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a bedding system in a crib according toone implementation of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a bedding system formed in accordancewith the present disclosure in a crib with one side rail of the cribremoved; and

FIG. 13 is an isometric view of a bedding system in a toddler bedaccording to one implementation of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, certain specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosedimplementations. However, one skilled in the relevant art will recognizethat the present disclosed implementations may be practiced without oneor more of these specific details or with other methods, components,materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures or componentsor both that are associated with the environment of the presentdisclosure, including but not limited to the construction of the cribframe, bed frame, and mattresses have not been shown or described inorder to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of theimplementations.

Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification andclaims that follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as“comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open inclusivesense, that is, as “including, but not limited to.” The foregoingapplies equally to the words “including” and “having.”

Reference throughout this description to “one implementation” or “animplementation” means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the implementation isincluded in at least one implementation. Thus, the appearance of thephrases “in one implementation” or “in an implementation” in variousplaces throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring tothe same implementation.

FIG. 1 shows a bedding assembly 20 according to one implementation ofthe present disclosure. The bedding assembly 20 includes a first side22, a second side 24, a third side 26, a fourth side 28, and a center30. The sides 22, 24, 26 and 28 are generally sloped upwards andoutwards from the center 30. An infant is placed on the center 30 tosleep, and the sides 22, 24, 26 and 28 help to keep the infantpositioned in the center 30 of the bedding system 20 and prevent themfrom falling off while sleeping. The bedding assembly 20 is designed tokeep a child within the safety of the center 30 of a crib or cradlewithout any devices or parts that a child can get wedged under, becometangled in, or choke on. It is to be understood that the beddingassembly 20 can be formed to be with a mattress 100 (shown in FIG. 8) ormattress-boxspring combination or formed separate from the mattress 100.The system may also include the frame or crib that supports themattress.

FIG. 2 shows a further aspect of the bedding assembly 20 to include afirst padding 32, a second padding 34, a third padding 36 and a fourthpadding 38. It is to be appreciated that the individual padding sections32, 34, 36, 38 can be connected together to form a unitary elongatepadding or a padding formed in a geometric shape, such as thetraditional rectangular shape of a mattress. As such it can be easilyplaced around the perimeter of a mattress top on which it is used.

However, in a preferred implementation, the padding is formed of thefour sections 32, 34, 36 and 38 that are placed or formed in the sides22, 24, 26 and 28 of the bedding assembly or system, thus providing asupporting structure for the sides. The contoured shape of the paddingallows for easy airflow to the child, and prevents the sides 22, 24, 26and 28 from collapsing on the child, which can lead to suffocation.

In another contemplated implementation of the present disclosure, thebedding system 20 only has two sides 22 and 26. In this implementation,the bedding system 20 positions paddings 32 and 36 on the top surface ofthe mattress 100, but does not have the paddings 34 and 38 adjacent tothe headboard or footboard of the crib or cradle.

The padding 32, 34, 36, 38 is made of any suitable soft, protectivematerial, such as foam. Preferably, the padding 32, 34, 36, 38 is madeof food grade polyethylene in order to be less toxic and easily wipedclean. Food grade polyethylene does not produce trapped gasses likeother foam products do, which may be dangerous to a child.

Each of the paddings 32, 34, 36 and 38 has a bottom surface 40, a backsurface 42, an angled surface 44 connecting the bottom surface 40 andthe back surface 42, and first and second side surfaces 46 and 48. Eachpadding 32, 34, 36 and 38 preferably has a triangular cross sectionalconfiguration, as shown in FIG. 4. The angle between the bottom surface40 and the angled surface 44 can be any angle sufficient to keep a childaway from the railing, while still allowing adequate airflow to thechild. Preferably, the angle is between 20 degrees and 70 degrees. Thetriangular shape of the paddings helps to ensure that there are no gapsor air pockets which a child might become stuck in, while still allowingair to easily flow into the crib.

The padding length from the first side surface 46 to the second sidesurface 48 can be any length appropriate to fit in a crib, cradle ortoddler bed. Preferably, the length from side surface 46 to side surface48 of paddings 32 and 36 is between 45″ and 80″; and the length fromside surface 46 to side surface 48 of paddings 34 and 38 is between 25″and 45″. The width of the bottom surface 40, as measured from the backsurface 42 to the angled surface 48, can be any length appropriate tokeep a child safely secured in the center of the bedding assembly 20.Preferably, the width of the bottom surface 40 is between 4″ and 6″. Theheight of the back surface 42 can be any length appropriate to protectan infant or child from hitting the side rails of a crib or cradle orfrom falling out of a bed. Preferably, the height of the back surface 42is between 3″ and 6″.

FIG. 3 shows the paddings 32, 34, 36 and 38 fitting together to form arectangular shape having approximately the same outer perimeterdimensions as the top of the mattress with which the bedding assembly 20will be used. As shown in FIG. 1, the bottom surface 40 of all paddings32, 34, 36, 38 is placed downward, with the back surface 42 beingvertical and the angled surface 44 angled inwardly toward the center ofthe crib. The side surface 46 of each padding 32, 34, 36, and 38 touchesthe side surface 48 of one other padding.

FIG. 4 is a side view of one of the paddings 32, 34, 36, 38, showing theface of the side surface 48, and a profile view of the padding.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a cover 50 of the bedding assembly 20. The paddings32, 34, 36 and 38 are contained within the cover 50, which securelyfastens all paddings 32, 34, 36 and 38 together. The cover 50 provides asingle, continuous surface 62 for the entire bedding assembly 20,preventing a child from becoming trapped under the paddings. The cover50 is made up of a center piece 52, a first padding wrap 54, a secondpadding wrap 56, a third padding wrap 58 and a fourth padding wrap 60.Each of the padding wraps 54, 56, 58 and 60 are connected to the centerpiece 52 so that the padding wraps and the center piece 52 have asingle, continuous top surface 62 when the cover 50 is fastened aroundthe paddings 32, 34, 36 and 38.

The padding wraps 54, 56, 58 and 60 each have a padding covering portion66 extending from the center piece 52, and a side covering portion 68extending from the padding covering portion. The padding wraps 54, 56,58, and 60 contain fasteners 64 that are used to secure the paddingwraps around their respective paddings 32, 34, 36 and 38. Preferably,the fasteners 64 are connected to the side cover portion 68 in order tokeep the fasteners 64 on the outside of the system 20 and away from thechild. According to one implementation, the padding wraps 54, 56, 58 and60 fully enclose their respective paddings 32, 34, 36 and 38.

In another implementation, the padding wraps 54, 56, 58 and 60 partiallyenclose the paddings 32, 34, 36 and 38, leaving the bottom surface 40 ofeach padding uncovered. The fasteners 64 of the cover are preferablyhook and loop fasteners, or any other suitable releasable fastener, andare positioned on all four sides of the cover. Preferably, there areeight sets of hook and loop fasteners stitched to the perimeter of thecover measuring approximately 1″×1.5″ each. Other fasteners may includesnaps or zippers, but will preferably face the railing so nothing hardcan be felt while lying on the bedding system.

The cover 50 can be made of any suitable fabric to securely wrap thepaddings, such as cotton. According to one implementation, the cover ismade of 100% organic cotton. The weight of the fabric is preferablythick and durable enough to contain the paddings 32, 34, 36 and 38 andkeep them in place, giving the bedding assembly 20 structure. Preferablythe fabric used for the cover does not stretch, thereby giving moresupport to the bedding assembly 20. The cover 50 is sewn such that thepadding wraps 54, 56, 58 and 60 fit tightly over the paddings 32, 34, 36and 38 when they are wrapped around the paddings, preventing thepaddings from slipping or moving. According to one implementation, thecover also protects the mattress from spills and stains by placing arubber layer on the center piece 52. This is an added convenience forthe consumer, as a separate mattress pad or protector does not have tobe purchased. The cover 50 can be easily removed for laundering.

FIGS. 7-10 show another implementation of the bedding assembly 20described above used in conjunction with a fitted sheet 70. The fittedsheet 70 is sized and shaped to at least fit over and preferably encloseor encompass the paddings 32, 34, 36 and 38, the cover 50, and themattress 100 on which the bedding assembly 20 rests. The fitted sheet 70includes a padding covering portion 72 and a mattress covering portion74.

The padding covering portion 72 of the fitted sheet 70 is sized andshaped to fit over the center 30 and over the paddings 32, 34, 36 and38. The padding covering portion 72 is sewn such that it has a centerportion 82 that lies over the top surface 102 of the mattress 100, and aperimeter portion 84 that circumscribes the center portion 82 and fitsover the paddings 32, 34, 36 and 38. The mattress covering portion 74 ofthe fitted sheet 70 extends from the padding covering portion to cover asidewall 104 and a bottom surface 106 of the mattress 100. The mattresscovering portion 74 has a first sheet part 76 that covers the sidewall104 of the mattress 100, and a second sheet part 78 extending inwardlyfrom the first part 76 to enclose at least part of the bottom surface106 of the mattress, forming an opening 86 on the fitted sheet 70.

The fitted sheet 70 keeps the sleeping environment clean and clear ofany internal parts that a child could potentially be entangled in,causing strangulation or suffocation. The opening 86 for removing thefitted sheet 70 is completely under the mattress and out of reach of thechild. The sheet 70 is kept secure by elastic stitched in the opening 86or any other suitable method. In one implementation, the sheet is madeof 100% organic cotton, however any suitable fabric may be used. Thefitted sheet 70 has a fabric that is preferably smooth and soft insurface texture making it a comfortable sleeping surface.

FIGS. 11-13 show the bedding assembly 20 being used on a variety ofdifferent bed types, allowing the bedding assembly 20 to be used when achild is transitioning into larger bed by sleeping in a convertible cribor toddler bed. As long as a standard mattress is used in the bed, thefitted sheet 70 will securely fasten the bedding assembly 20 to themattress even when no railing or other side guards are used. When usedin a toddler bed or a convertible crib, the bedding assembly 20 willhelp to prevent a child from rolling out of bed. This lengthens the timeand use of the implementation making it multi-functional and a moreconvenient purchase for the consumer.

The various implementations described above can be combined to providefurther implementations. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patentapplication publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents,foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to inthis specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet areincorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of theimplementations can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of thevarious patents, applications and publications to provide yet furtherimplementations.

These and other changes can be made to the implementations in light ofthe above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, theterms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specificimplementations disclosed in the specification and the claims, butshould be construed to include all possible implementations along withthe full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.

1. A padding system for use with a mattress, the mattress having a topsurface, a bottom surface, a circumscribing sidewall defining athickness, and a top surface perimeter, the system comprising: a paddingassembly sized and shaped for placement on the top surface of themattress, including: a bottom padding surface; a back padding surface;and an angled padding surface extending from the bottom padding surfaceto the back padding surface; a padding cover having a continuous topsurface, the padding cover sized and shaped to at least partially coverthe padding assembly, the padding cover including a central coverportion sized and shaped to cover the angled padding surface and atleast a portion of the top surface of the mattress that is not coveredby the padding assembly; and a fitted sheet sized and shaped tocompletely cover the padding assembly and the padding cover and to holdthe padding assembly and the padding cover to the mattress.
 2. Thepadding system of claim 1, wherein the fitted sheet includes: a paddingcovering portion sized and shaped to cover the padding cover; and amattress covering portion having a first sheet part extending from thepadding covering portion and sized and shaped to cover the top surfaceof the mattress, and a second sheet part extending from the first sheetpart, the second sheet part having an elastic portion sized and shapedto at least partially cover the bottom surface of the mattress and tourge the padding assembly and the padding cover onto the top surface ofthe mattress
 3. The padding system of claim 1 wherein the padding coveris configured to hold the padding assembly in a geometric shape.
 4. Thepadding assembly of claim 1 wherein the padding cover further includes:a side cover portion connected to and circumscribing the central coverportion and sized and shaped to at least partially wrap around thepadding assembly; and releasable cover fasteners structured toreleasably fasten the side cover portion directly to the paddingassembly
 5. The padding system of claim 1, wherein the padding assemblyfurther comprises: a first padding portion configured to be positionedon a first edge of the top surface of the mattress; a second paddingportion configured to be positioned on a second edge of the top surfaceof the mattress, the second padding portion lying adjacent to the firstpadding portion; a third padding portion being configured to bepositioned on a third edge of the top surface of the mattress, the thirdpadding portion lying adjacent to the second padding portion; and afourth padding portion being configured to be positioned on a fourthedge of the top surface of the mattress, the fourth padding portionlying adjacent to the third padding portion and the first paddingportion.
 6. A bedding assembly for a mattress having a top surface,comprising: a padding sized and shaped to rest on the top surface of amattress; and a cover sized and shaped to enclose the padding and coverthe top surface area of the mattress, the cover including a centersection sized and shaped to cover a portion of the top surface of themattress that is not covered by the padding.
 7. The bedding assembly ofclaim 6, further comprising: a fitted sheet sized and shaped tocompletely cover the padding and the cover and to hold the padding andthe cover to the top surface of the mattress.
 8. The bedding assembly ofclaim 6, wherein the padding is sized and shaped to rest on the topsurface of a mattress and be secured around the perimeter of themattress, the padding having first, second, third, and fourth paddingsections; the first padding section having a bottom surface, a backsurface, an angled surface extending from the bottom surface to the backsurface, a first side surface and a second side surface; the secondpadding section having a bottom surface, a back surface, an angledsurface extending from the bottom surface to the back surface, a firstside surface and a second side surface, the first side surface of thesecond padding section being configured to be positioned adjacent to thesecond side surface of the first padding section; the third paddingsection having a bottom surface, a back surface, an angled surfaceextending from the bottom surface to the back surface, a first sidesurface and a second side surface, the first side surface of the thirdpadding section configured to be positioned adjacent to the second sidesurface of the second padding section; the fourth padding section havinga bottom surface, a back surface, an angled surface extending from thebottom surface to the back surface, a first side surface and a secondside surface, the first side surface of the fourth padding sectionconfigured to be positioned adjacent to the second side surface of thethird padding section, and the second side surface of the fourth paddingsection configured to be positioned adjacent to the first side surfaceof the first padding section; wherein the first, second, third, andfourth padding sections define a raised perimeter circumscribing aplanar central section to create a completely padded environment for aninfant or a child.
 9. The bedding assembly of claim 7, wherein thefitted sheet includes: a center portion sized and shaped to completelycover the top surface of the mattress; a raised perimeter portionconnected to the center portion and sized and shaped to lie adjacent toand on top of the padding; and a sidewall portion configured to enclosethe padding, the cover and a portion of the bottom surface of themattress and to hold the padding and the cover to the top surface of themattress.
 10. A bedding system, comprising: a mattress having a topsurface, a bottom surface, and a sidewall; a padding assembly configuredto be positioned on the top surface of the mattress; and a cover havinga continuous top surface and sized and shaped to lie on top of andenclose the padding assembly and to cover the top surface of themattress.
 11. The bedding system of claim 10, wherein the sidewall ofthe mattress defines a perimeter of the mattress, and the paddingassembly includes: a back surface substantially parallel to the sidewallsurface of the mattress; a bottom surface perpendicular to the backsurface and extending inward from the back surface toward a center ofthe top surface of the mattress. an angled surface extending from theback surface to the bottom surface, the angled surface extending inwardfrom the back surface toward the center of the top surface of themattress; and an open center region defined by the connection of theangled surface and the top surface around the perimeter of the mattress.12. The bedding system of claim 10, wherein, the cover includes: a firstpadding wrap sized and shaped to enclose a first section of the padding;a second padding wrap sized and shaped to enclose a second section ofthe padding; a third padding wrap sized and shaped to enclose a thirdsection of the padding; a fourth padding wrap sized and shaped toenclose a fourth section of the padding; and a center section connectedto the first padding wrap, the second padding wrap, the third paddingwrap and the fourth padding wrap, the center section sized and shaped tosecurely hold the first padding wrap, the second padding wrap, the thirdpadding wrap and the fourth padding wrap together, the center sectioncovering a portion of the top surface of the mattress that is notcovered by the padding assembly.
 13. The bedding assembly of claim 10,further comprising a fitted sheet sized and shaped to enclose thepadding assembly and the mattress and to tightly fit over and conform tothe padding assembly and the mattress, and to hold the padding assemblyto the top surface of the mattress.
 14. The bedding system of claim 13,wherein the fitted sheet further comprises: a center portion sized andshaped to cover the open center region; a raised perimeter portionsurrounding the center portion and sized and shaped to cover the paddingassembly; and a side portion connected to the raised perimeter portionand configured to fit over and at least partially enclose the mattress.